Riding amusement device



H. F. GIESE RIDING AMUSEMENT DEVICE Oct. 15,1g29.

Filed Feb.A 13. 1923 ENT A TTORNEYS.

VPatented Oct. 15, 1929 -uNrr-ED STATES PAT-ENT oFFIcE HERBERT F. GIESE, F KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.l

RIDING lArmsnivz'rzrur DEVICE Application filed February 13 192B. Serial No. 253,984.

member. Devices ofthe general type charn acterized are popular with Children, as affording pleasure and entertainment, and also satisfy the craving prevalent to nearly all children for vigorous physical movement or exercise. f v

My object is to provide a riding device which will not creep `whether ridden slowly or rapidly, and in which spring squeaks and other noises which are very pronounced in some devices of the kind with which I am y familiar, are minimized to a very noticeable degree, and a further object is yto produce a riding device of very simple, strong, durable and inexpensive construction. 1 Vith these objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel .and useful features of construction and combinations of parts as hereinafter described and claimed; and in 3 0 order that it may be fully understood, reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, in which :v y

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a riding amusement device embodyingthe inven tion,v certain parts being broken away to disclose features otherwise hidden.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the device. Figure 3 is a detail perspective view of the supporting frame of the device. y 'Referring now to the drawing in detail, 1 indicates a base member mounted at its ends -upon spaced crosscleats 2, so that it may rest firmly and solidly 4upon a floor and have rno tendency to tip sidewise. Secured to and rising vertically from the front end of member 1 is a pair of spaced standards 3, the same being preferably secured in side recesses l of member 1, and bolted rigidly thereto as at 5. The upper ends of the standards 3 are connected by a cross bolt 6, and to maintain the upper ends of the standards in properly spaced relation, a spacer sleeve 7 is inter# .posed between the standards and mounted on the bolt 6, and a nut 8 engages the threaded end of the bolt and cooperates with the head of the latter inV preventing spreading movement of the standards. rlhe standards are braced by the inclined bars 9 secured at their upper ends on bolt 6, and at their lower ends to the base member by a cross bolt 10.

The parts described constitute a rigid stal tionary but portable supporting frame, and is complete as described except that the base member 1 is provided with a longitudinal slot 11 across which extends the stationary bolt 10 and an adjustable bolt 12, the base member having a plurality ofv holes 13 to permit bolt 12 to. be shifted to a position nearer to or further from the standards 3, for a purpose which is hereinafter explained. Also constituting a part of the framework is an eye-bolt 141 aflixed to member l between standards 3, as a convenient anchorage for a' spring hereinafter identified.

Af short link 15 is pivotally connected to and between the upper ends of the standards, the link being shown preferably in the form of a short bar, anda retractile spring 16 is connected at its opposite ends toy the eye-bolt let and to the free end of said link, said spring being retracted when substantially in the position shown by full lines in Figure 1, -and under tension when in the position shown by dottedlines, same figure.

'Fitting `at its lower end in the slot 11 of member 1, and pivoted on the bolt 12 for swinging movement in a vertical plane, is a swinging member or bar v17, said member Ybeing equipped at its rear endwith a seatA 1S, and forward of the seat having an upwardly projecting portion 19 simulating the head and neck of a horse or other animal, and from opposite sides of the 'portion 19 are handles 20 adapted to be gripped by the child in the operation of the device. The bar or member 'is Aalso equipped with laterally-projecting arms 21 to afford foot-holds for the comfort and to afford further vstability forl the rider. The swinging member is provided with a swinging clevs or link 22 connected by a Assuming the parts to be positioned as` shown in full lines, it will be apparent that when a child is placed upon the seat astride of the swinging member, the latter will swing downward. In the initial Vpart of this operation spring 16 will yield because much weaker than spring 23, and the latter and the link 15 will approach a'more nearly alined position and reach an actually alined position when the swinging member is fully depressed as shown by dotted lines, Figure 1. At this time spring 16 is under the fullest tension to which it is subjected, and it is stretched to the eX- tent indicated before any material stretching or tensioning of springl 23 occurs, the stretching of the latter of course storing upthe necessary power to effect the re-elevation of the swinging member.

It has been found that if the spring 23 is connected to the link 15 or the bolt 6 without using the counteracting spring 16, violent downward movements of the swinging member tend to impose a quick and heavy shock on the upper ends of the standards, and that this shock, because of the necessary stiffness of spring23, has atendency to lift the front end of the supporting` framer and hence cause the same to creep or move, whereas when spring 16 is employed, it serves as a shock absorber or cushion and, by yielding to such violent or rapid downward movement of the swinging member, prevents the transmission of a heavy shock, suddenly applied, to the upper end of thefstandards and hence guards against creeping or jumping movement of the supporting frame. This action of .the spring 16 in resisting a sudden snapping of the slack out of the connection between spring 23 and the standards, also serves to eliminate noises and spring squeaks, as the spring 16 resists and therefore cushions the stretching of the connection between the swinging member and the upper ends of the standards, as the former starts on its downward movement. If it is desiredy to vary the tension of spring 23 to accommodate the device to riders of different weight, it can be accomplished byvshifting the bolt 12 rearwardly to accommodate greater weight in the rider or forwardly to accommodate a lighter rider, it having been found that the shifting of the boltfrom one hole to an adjacent one represents a difference in the riders weight of about fifteen pounds. It has also been found desirable to employ a retractile spring 24 between the swinging member and the boltI 10, this spring making the device accommodate reduced weight in the rider withoutzthe necessity of shifting the bolt 12 to amore advanced hole 13 in the base member. Said spring also serves, and this is its chief function, as a means of checking forward or upward swing* ing movement ofthe swinging member before it attains a position which would render the seat of a small child insecure, and the spring furthermore serves to cushion the ar-V rest of such upward movement and thus avoids the danger which might be incident to an abrupt sudden checking of the forward or upward movement. Y

From the above description it will be apparentthat I have produced a device embodying the features of advantage set forth as desirable in the statement of the objects of the invention, and which is obviously susceptible of rmodification in minor particulars without departing from the principle of construction and mode of operation involved or from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a riding amusement device, a supporting frame, a member pivoted thereto for swinging in a vertical plane, a connection between said pivoted member and the front 'porL tion of the supporting frame, locatedvin a plane above the pivotal point of the pivoted member and adapted to retract when the pivoted member is in the upper range of its movement, and embodying a retractile spring adapted to be tensioned when the pivoted member moves downward, and a weaker retractile spring anchored at one end to the supporting frame and connected at its other end to said connection between the pivoted member and the supporting frame and tensioned when the former in moving downward, tensions said connection, and adapted to retract ,to return saidV connectionto original,

position, as the'pivotedmember swings upward. v

2. In a riding amusement device, a supporting frame, a member pivoted thereto for kswinging in a vertical plane, a connection between said pivoted member and the front portion ofthe supporting frame, located in l a plane above the pivotal point of the pivoted member and adapted to retract when the piv-l oted member is in the upper range of its movement and embodying a retractile spring adapted to be tensioned when the pivoted member moves downward; a weaker retractile spring anchored at one end to the supporting frame and connected at its upper end to said connection between the pivoted member and the supporting frame and tensioned when the former in moving downward, vtensions said connection, and adapted to retract to return said connection to original position, as the pivoted member swings'upward, and yielding-means for cushioning and arresting the upward movement of thepivoted member.

3 In'a riding amusement device, a sup porting frame, a member pivoted thereto for swinging in a vertical plane, a connection be- CAG tween said pivoted member and the front portion of the supporting frame, located in aplane above the pivotal point of the pivoted member and adapted to retract when the pivoted member is in the upper range of its movement 'and embodying a retractile spring adapted to be tensioned when the pivoted member moves downward; a weaker retractile spring anchored at one end to the supporting frame and connected at its other end to said connection between the pivoted member and the supporting frame and tensioned when the former in moving downward, ten? sions said connectiomand adapted to retract to return said connection to original position, as the pivoted member swings upward, and a third retractile spring connected at its lower end to the supporting frame and at its upper end to said pivoted member in a plane above the pivotal point of the latter.

4. In a riding amusement device, a supporting frame comprising a horizontal base portion and a pair of standards mounted on the front end of the base portion, a cross bolt connecting the upper ends of the standards, a seat-carrying bar pivoted at its lower end to thel base portion and adapted to swing in a vertical plane, a retractile spring connection in plane above the base portion and connecting the pivoted member with the crossV bolt oit said standards and adapted to retract as the pivoted member approaches the limit of its upward movement, and a weaker retractile spring connection attached to the irstnamed spring connection and to the supporting frame and offering yielding resistance to the tensioning of the first-named spring connection as the pivoted member moves downward and for retracting to return said firstnamed spring connection to original position as the upward movement of the pivoted member approaches completion.

5. In a riding f amusement device, a supporting frame comprisinga horizontal base portion and a pair of standards mounted on the front end of the base portion, a cross bolt connecting the upper ends of the standards, a seat-carrying member pivoted at its lower end to the base portion and adapted to swing in a vertical plane, a retractile spring connection in a plane above the base portion and connecting the pivoted member with the cross boit oi said standards and adapted to retract as the pivoted member approaches the limit of its upward movement; a weaker retractile spring connection attached to the first-named spring connection and to the supporting frame and offering yielding resistance to the tensioning of the iirst-named spring connection as the pivoted member moves downward and for retracting to return said first-named spring connection to original-position as the upward' movement of the pivoted'member approaches completion, and yielding means for resisting and ultimately arrestingthe upward movement of said" pivoted member.

6. In a riding amusementfdevice, a supporting frame comprising a cleat-elevated base member having a longitudinal slot and a pair of braced standards at its front end,

a member fitting at its lower end in said slot and provided with a seat and set of hand and foot holds, a cross bolt mounted in the base member and extending through and viorming a pivotal support for the seat-carry- HERBERT F. GIESE. 

